| Chadema:Masha used office to blockour man | Send to a friend |
| Saturday, 04 September 2010 09:22 |
 By The Citizen TeamHome Affairs minister Lawrence Masha was yesterday accused of using his government position in an alleged attempt to retain his erstwhile Nyamagana parliamentary seat unopposed. Chadema, whose candidate was also vying for the same seat in Mwanza region was initially blocked after his Tanzanian citizenship was queried, said it was contemplating to have the minister stripped of the right to stand in the October 31 General Election. Addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam following Tuesday’s decision by the National Electoral Commission to reinstate Mr Ezekieli Wenje as a parliamentary candidate for Nyamagana, Chadema acting deputy secretary general Mr John Mnyika yesterday accused Mr Masha of conducting himself in a manner that smacked of conflict of interest. For that, he said, the minister should be punished. Mr Mnyika said Chadema would also consider filing a legal suit against the minister for abuse of office. He added that Chadema lawyers are working on the legal modalities. However, reached for comment yesterday, Mr Masha dismissed the accusations and challenged the opposition party to prove their claims. He said the objection against Mr Wenje that had been filed with NEC was done by his party and therefore, there was nothing personal about it. “Of course, we logged an objection against Wenje…but I have got nothing to do with the decision made by the Nyamagana returning officer. The allegations that I have used my powers in my favour are baseless,” said Mr Masha. The minister added that he was ready to defend himself against any legal action. “I welcome it… and I’m ready for anything since I’m certain I did nothing wrong,” Masha said. Mr Wenje who was earlier disqualified by the Mwanza returning officer after his citizenship status was put to doubt, also addressed the press and said he had been embarrassed. He said Chadema believes Mr Masha, whose ministry was in charge of Immigration, used his position to make sure that he was disqualified from running for Nyamagana seat. Mr Wenje said apart from the planned legal action against Mr Masha, Chadema leaders in Mwanza would lodge a petition against Nyamagana returning officer Mr Wilson Kabwe because they “cannot trust him anymore.” He said the government should amend laws so that ministers should step down once Parliament was dissolves so that they compete with others on a level playing field. Independent political commentators, however, felt there was no need to change the law on this issue, but called for maturity in the manner electoral issues are handled. Mr Bashiru Ally of the University of Dar es Salaam said the tendency of candidates to sabotage each other during election time should be shunned, as it was a sign of immaturity. “We have to establish a culture where people can contest without sabotaging one another…in the case Mr Masha, it’s very hard to tell if he used his power to influence the decision,” Mr Ally said. Dr Benson Bana, the chairperson of University of Dar es Salaam Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (REDET) said only the court could prove who is right or wrong. In Rorya, Mr Wenje’s mother and the local government officials expressed concern in the manner that the case was handled in Mwanza. Other residents also complained that they were often branded non-citizens to settle personal scores. Mrs Tabitha Wenje hailed the NEC decision to restore the rights of her son. She said Mr Wenje was born in 1978 at Shirati. She said that her son went to Michire Primary School before joining Shirati Secondary School, both of which are in the district, later he went to Geita High School for his A-Levels. After that, said the mother, her son joined Butimba Teachers Training College in Mwanza for a diploma in teaching. Thereafter, he taught at several schools in Mwanza region before joining St Augustine University also in Mwanza for further studies. “Immigration officers came here after the objection against my son. I gave them all the evidence but the returning officer went ahead and declared my son a non-citizen,” she lamented. The Mukoma village government chairman Mr Saye Okello wondered how Immigration officers went to the village and conducted investigations without informing his office. “It is against regulations. How can they understand issues concerning this village without consulting me?” he asked. Chadema meanwhile revealed another of its blocked candidates, Mr James Majura, The party said Mr Majura has been cleared to contest the Mkuranga parliamentary seat. Mr Majura was disqualified following a petition by immediate former Mkuranga MP and assistant minister for energy and minerals Mr Adam Malima. In the petition Mr Malima complained that Majura was not endorsed by at least 25 people in the constituency as the election law indicates. Mr Mnyika said the reinstatement of the two candidates prove that Chadema has been sabotaged by some returning officers. He named other blocked candidates as Deusdeth Kahangwa (Karagwe) Balton Gwakisa (Rungwe West), Yusufu Asukile (Rungwe East) Josphate Isango (Singida Urban), James Gubena (Igalula) and Said Salehe (Handeni). Reported by Geofrey Nyang’oro, Alex Bitekeye and Frank Kimboy, Dar es Salaam and Beldina Nyakeke, Musoma Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
| Last Updated on Monday, 06 September 2010 10:03 |
